Last semester, the Sargent Choice Test Kitchen was far from ordinary. We were lucky enough to enjoy SC Penne with Roasted Tomatoes, Garlic, and Beans with the Meal Makeover Moms, Janice Bissex, MS, RD and Liz Weiss, MS, RD.

Janice and Liz are Registered Dietitians, authors of two cookbooks,No Whine with Dinner and The Moms’ Guide to Meal Makeovers and of course BU alumni. As entrepreneurs, authors and food bloggers, Janice and Liz are an inspiration to future RDs and BU students (like me)!

I had the wonderful opportunity to work with Janice and Liz this summer. I learned about nutrition blogging, recipe development and food photography from two of the nation’s experts. Check out their website for their bios and some great recipes.

Of course, I was hoping to impress my summer bosses, but things didn’t go as planned. The proximity to final exams put a damper on student attendance and an ingredient mysteriously missing from the ingredients section of the recipe was overlooked. Although the SC Test Kitchen didn’t go as smoothly as usual, I had a fantastic time catching up with Janice and Liz. They even interviewed Karen and I to be featured on their weekly podcast.

Check back here to listen to Karen and I talk about the KJ SC Test Kitchen with Janice and Liz.

The roasted tomatoes were a big hit with students, but we felt the rest of the recipe needed a bit more flavor. This could be accomplished with the addition of spices or herbs, such as red pepper flakes. The absence of lemon juice (the mysteriously missing ingredient from the ingredient list) would have boosted the diversity of the dish. All in all, this recipe needs some modification before it enters the dining hall.

2. Slice each tomato into 8 wedges and discard the seeds. Put the tomato wedges and garlic in a large roasting pan or cookie sheet, toss with 4 tablespoons of the oil, and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of the salt and pepper to taste. Roast, uncovered, until the tomatoes lose their shape and become slightly charred, 35 to 40 minutes.

3. Drain the beans in a large colander in the sink.

4. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain the pasta in the colander containing the beans, so the hot pasta water warms the beans. Return the drained pasta and beans to the pasta pot.

5. When the tomatoes are done, carefully pick out the garlic cloves, squeeze the garlic out of the skin into a small bowl, and mash with a fork. Add the lemon juice, the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and ½ teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper, and stir to combine.

6. Transfer the roasted tomatoes to the pasta pot, and add the garlic-lemon mixture and basil. Toss to combine. Serve topped with the Parmesan.